Ohio State women's hockey coach resigns amid harassment complaints

Ohio State women's hockey coach Nate Handrahan resigned Wednesday after an investigation spurred by sexual harassment complaints, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

According to the Dispatch, the university first began investigating Handrahan after a November incident in North Dakota where witnesses said Handrahan and an assistant coach missed the team bus to the airport and arrived at the airport "smelling of alcohol and acting unprofessionally."

He was given a written reprimand on Dec. 1 and apologized, according to the Dispatch, but Ohio State received many complaints about the coach for sexual harassment and "unprofessional and intimidating conduct and retaliation."

Handrahan, according to witnesses, made sexual comments or innuendos about female players and their relationships with their boyfriends and that he routinely used sexually explicit or vulgar language during practices and in games.

Handrahan and two assistants met with university investigators on Jan. 20 and a review by Ohio State determined that Handrahan "engaged in a pattern of verbal conduct of a sexual nature" and found "sufficient evidence" that he violated university policies on sexual harassment, inappropriate conduct and retaliation, according to the Dispatch.​

The university report said the assistants told investigators that Handrahan did not threaten or intimidate players and Handrahan said he did not make any inappropriate or sexual comments.

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